LeBron James No. 1 player in SI Top 100 for 6th straight season

As the seasons change, there’s usually one list that lets me know the NBA is almost here: the release of the Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 players. And for the sixth straight season, LeBron James reigns as the league’s top player according to SI’s crack duo of Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney.

Golliver, who wrote the section on James, highlights what is so spectacular about James’ consistency over the years.

To underscore James’s dominance at age 33, simply compare his stats in 2012–13 (the first time The Crossover did this ranking) to 2017–18 (last year). There’s virtually no slippage in his box-score stats, and his advanced numbers remain excellent.

That’s crazy! And if you look at other statistics such as 3-point rate and the number of deep 3’s he took last season, you can see where he’s taken his game to ahead of the 2018-19 season.

If LeBron’s 2K tendencies and his career are any indication, he will still handle the ball and call the shots. But we could continue to see him expand his range and develop into an even more threatening long-range shooter this season. If he is also able to take his efficiency to another level from distance, and the young Lakers are ready for the spotlight, staying at No. 1 for the 2020 edition of the rankings is well within reach.

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